The present invention relates to a gauge or guide device for assisting health care practitioners in evaluating radiographic images of a spine and to processes for using such devices.
Health care practitioners such as physicians, radiologists, chiropractors, and physician""s assistants often analyze radiographic films in the evaluation of possible injuries suffered by the subject patient. Such radiographic films, commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cx-raysxe2x80x9d are especially analyzed in relation to detection and evaluation of cervical spine injuries. Heretofore simple instruments such as rulers or the like have been used to measure the soft tissue present adjacent to the edges on the vertebrae. Also the evaluation process tends to be dependant on the memory of the particular health care practitioner, thereby introducing the possibility of errors, especially during times of stress, caused, for example by heavy work load or emergencies.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved guide for assisting health care practitioners in the evaluation of radiographic images of the spine. In accordance with one aspect of the invention a flexible transparent plastic sheet is utilized as a base substrate for the guide. In accordance with a related aspect, the substrate has inscribed thereon at least one and preferably a number of images, each representing at least the peripheries of a number of individual vertebrae being evaluated.
In accordance with a further related aspect, each of the images representing the peripheral edge of a vertebra is provided with an associated line on the substrate laterally displaced from the image representing the vertebra. The line is displaced at a distance representing the maximum thickness of soft tissue allowed or expected to exist for a specific vertebra in the absence of a spinal injury. Thus the health care practitioner can overlay the peripheral edge of the image which represents a vertebra over the radiographic image and accurately judge whether or not the allowable thickness of soft tissue has been exceeded, in which event an injury is suspected to have occurred in the vicinity of the vertebra.
In accordance with further aspects of the invention, various additional inscriptions are provided on the substrate with appropriate labeling indicating alignment of or measurements for additional characteristics of the images being evaluated, for example, xe2x80x9cspinous processesxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9changman""sxe2x80x9d which additional measurements are used to assess additional radiographic areas.
Briefly, the invention provides a guide for assisting a health care practitioner in evaluating radiographic images of spines which is based on a flexible transparent sheet bearing images thereon. The images each include an edge representing the periphery of a vertebra and a line inscribed thereon laterally displaced from the edge by a measured distance which represents the maximum thickness of soft tissue allowed in the absence of a cervical spinal injury for each corresponding cervical vertebra. A process for evaluating a radiographic image of a spine involves placing the guide over a lateral radiographic image of a subject spine that is to be evaluated with the edge representing the periphery of a selected vertebra placed in alignment with the radiographic image of the corresponding selected cervical vertebra. The amount of soft tissue appearing in radiographic image is observed in relation to the line and thereby determining whether the amount of soft tissue present exceeds a soft tissue allowance for the specific vertebra.
Further aspects of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying claims, the following detailed description and the drawings.